Honda FCV hydrogen concept revealed, hits production in 2016

Honda has revealed an updated version of the FCEV concept car it unveiled at the 2013 LA auto show, this time called the FCV concept. It previews the eventual production version that will go on sale in 2016.

What’s so special about the latest FCV? Well, it’s powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and produces zero exhaust emissions. The powertrain consists of a highly advanced 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank and a fuel-cell stack which is 33 per cent smaller than the one used in the FCX Clarity.

Power peaks at over 100kW, with a specific power output of 3.1kW/litre. It provides an overall performance improvement of around 60 per cent compared with the previous version of the fuel-cell stack, according to Honda, and promises an overall range of around 700km.

If this tech stuff isn’t impressive enough, how’s this for a fact; the Honda FCV will become the first ever production sedan that incorporates the entire electric powertrain under the bonnet, including the fuel-cell stack. This means there’s plenty of space left in the boot and cabin, unlike electric vehicles that store batteries and other components in various practicality-sapping areas.

Honda is aiming to lead the industry in fuel cell vehicle technology and has so far been testing various vehicles, such as the FCX Clarity, and other models that have been available to motorists in Japan and the US under a lease program. The Japanese company has since been collecting real-world data from such technologies and collecting feedback from actual users and drivers.

This concept is as close as it gets to the production version that will go on sale in Japan by late in March in 2016. It will go on sale in other parts of the world some time after.

Brett is the editor and founder of PerformanceDrive. He's obsessed with driving, having played with Matchbox cars until he was tall enough to drive a real one. After initially working as a mechanic, Brett earned a degree in journalism and entered media as an editorial assistant at Top Gear Australia magazine. He then worked at CarAdvice.com.au. His dream is to live next door to the Nurburgring in Germany.